Texas doesn’t have any good professional football teams. Not right now.
The Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans have both underachieved based on expectations. The Cowboys are 1-2 coming off a miserable finish against the Baltimore Ravens in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The Texans are 0-3 again after the same winless start last year.
The winner will be the best of a bad duo, but never apologize for winning. Especially when the season has started so poorly.
DeMeco Ryans has preached togetherness in his locker room. The messaging has been to stay the course. They have the coaches and players to succeed. A win would drive home his words.
A loss might render them hollow.
The Texans will be celebrating their 25th season during this game. The Cowboys were, of course, the team’s first victory in franchise history. An embarrassing loss to finish a winless quarter of the season during the celebration might carry more weight than a typical loss for some. Regardless of the pomp and circumstance, 0-4 is decidedly awful. It must be avoided.
As for the game on the field, the Texans match up well. The defense has started to kick into gear. They’re getting their best offensive weapon back. The quarterback has played well through the losses. The opponent isn’t daunting. Dallas has their own warts. They’re banged up on defense. Their expensive defensive line has been terrible. Their rushing attack has been poor.
This winless start is already more difficult than last season. Just five home games remain after this one. Tiebreakers are already stacking up against Houston. Climbing into playoff relevance won’t be easy, but it will be nearly impossible if the Texans can’t get this one.
One Player to Watch
Several backup linebackers are set to play in this one. Pick one as the player to watch. Jake Hansen will fill in for Azeez Al-Shaair. Hansen hasn’t played a ton of defense for the Texans; he’s mostly been on special teams. Rookie Wade Woodaz is going to play next to Hansen. He got picked on when he entered the game last week. Woodaz also has an injured thumb and ankle to play through. Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham has been one of the bright spots for a disappointing defense.
One Matchup to Watch
It won’t always be as simple and obvious as the trenches, but in this matchup it certainly is that simple. The Cowboys have just two sacks this season. No defense has allowed more rushes of 10+ yards through three games. The offensive line for the Texans has been disappointing. They haven’t protected C.J. Stroud well enough. The run blocking has been bad, especially in the short-yardage situations. Something has to give.
One Stat to Watch
Neither of these teams has put the ball in danger in the air. Dak Prescott hasn’t thrown an interception since week one. C.J. Stroud hasn’t thrown one this season. The two quarterbacks have combined for five turnover-worthy plays according to Pro Football Focus. Someone is due to make a mistake. The Cowboys are one of four teams that haven’t intercepted a pass this season.
Score Prediction
The Houston Texans win 21-20. Nico Collins brings elements back to the offense that were dearly missing. The defense has been building closer to what we expect them to be. That should be enough for the Texans to get the win against the Cowboys. Dallas has firepower, but hopefully Houston gets way more than the offense provided the past two weeks. The Texans need better offensive line play. They can’t be the “get right” team for a struggling Dallas defense. A 1-3 record still isn’t good, but it feels a lot better than 0-4.